


"Untamed Heart"

by nat_oliver



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Barista!Bilbo, Bilbo falls hard for him, Christmas fic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Time, Heart desease, Hurt/Comfort, Love at First Sight, M/M, Protective Thorin, Protectiveness, Sad Ending???, Self Confidence Issues, Shy!Thorin, Sick!Thorin, Slow Burn, Thorin is a knight in shining armor, Thorin is so cute and shy and adorable, Thorin saves Bilbo, Untamed Heart - Au, Who wouldn't?, and adorable, bagginshield, no beta'd, poor attempt at humor, socially awkward Thorin, virgin!Thorin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-02
Updated: 2015-05-04
Packaged: 2018-02-27 20:42:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2706086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nat_oliver/pseuds/nat_oliver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo is a young coffe shop attendant who is consistently (and miserably) unlucky in love. Thorin is the reclusive new employee who harbors a secret crush on Bilbo, yet is too shy to speak to him. But all that changes one cold night when Bilbo finds himself in a life-threatening situation on his walk home and Thorin appears out of the shadows to rescue him. Intrigued by his unlikely savior, Bilbo tenderly breaks through to his lonely world, and finds out that Thorin has secrets of his own. Together, the two forge a bond of trust   and they will learn that true love really does exist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys, it's me again, I know it's been a long time since I'd publish anything, but I came back.  
> As I said earlier, I got a new job. To make matters worse, I was promoted to manager of the store where I work and I basically became a living zombie.  
> But now it's December and my work schedule changed and now I will be able to write again! Yay!  
> Okay, back to the fic, this is a Christmas fic, I know there are many out there, but I really like this plot. It is a "Untamed Heart" Au (Yes, that one with Christian Slater), this is one of my favorite movies and I always wanted to make a fic based on this movie.  
> So here it goes, more Bagginshied for you.  
> Please, tell me what you think in the comments and if you want to give me kudos, I will like it very much.  
> Oh, yeah, i forgot. This fic is not beta'd, I'm a brazilian girl, so english is not my language,  
> so if you find any errors, I'm sorry.

Thorin was sitting alone in the playroom. It was okay, really, he was used to it. Besides, it was very cold outside and Mary - one of the orphanage caregivers - had told him he would be more comfortable drawing with his crayons in the playroom, where would be warm. He knew she only said that because she didn't want him to go outside because he was too weak to play with the other children in the orphanage, but he decided to do what he was told. None of the children would want to play with Thorin anyway.

And that had been his reality since he could remember. Mary was always there, a constant presence in his life, taking him to see the doctor regularly; making sure he would take his pills on time and telling him that he shouldn't do anything that could be physically exhausting - it meant he could not lift any kind weight, no matter how light it was, and of course, he could never go outside or play with other children. When he was younger, Thorin used to ask her why he was different. Why couldn't he do what normal children did? Why did he felt weak all the time? Mary just smiled sadly at him and told him that it was because he was special and one day he would understand.

Thorin's childish brain had picked up that something was _very_ wrong with him, he just didn't know _what_ was wrong with him. Even though he knew it had something to do with that big, ugly scar on his chest. He could be only a seven year old boy, but he was very perceptive.

The sound of laughter coming from the backyard took him out of his reverie. He turned his attention to the window and dropped the crayon that was still in his hand before standing up. Slowly, Thorin walked to the window, but it was too high for him to see anything beyond the grey sky and the snow that had started falling that morning. He looked around the playroom and saw that there was a table with some chairs near the window. He hesitated for a moment, Mary would be mad at him if she found out that he was _'straining himself'_ , but the curiosity to see his colleagues playing in the backyard got the best of him. He dragged one of the chairs closer to the window, trying to be as quiet as possible and, surprisingly enough, he realized that nothing happened just because he pulled a chair. Really, he couldn't understand the reason for such a fuss about that.

Thorin brought the chair to the wall and positioned it under the window and, without difficulty, he climbed on the furniture to see the reason of the laughter he was listening. It was snowing outside, the backyard that usually had a green lawn was now covered in white, the big oak they had in the backyard had its roots hidden by the snow, even the playground had disappeared under the white blanket. The children were playing happily, some were chasing each other, some were throwing snowballs here and there in a kind of war between boys and girls and the youngest were building a snowman with the help of two caregivers.

Everyone was having fun, everyone was happy.

Everyone, except for Thorin.

Why couldn't he be out there playing like everyone else? Why did he had to be stuck in that room while everyone was having fun? It wasn't fair.

_It wasn’t fair!_

The dark-haired boy felt his blue eyes burn with tears that threatened to fall. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath when he felt a familiar pain in his chest, a pain that he always felt when he was upset. It was so hard for him to breathe. Thorin felt dizzy and for a moment he had to lean on the window to keep himself from falling to the side.

Then, Thorin heard the door of the playroom being open and Mary’s cheerful voice as she walked inside.

"Thorin, look at that, I found another box of crayons... THORIN!"

He heard something falling on the floor - probably the aforementioned box of crayons - and then hurried steps toward him, but his chest was hurting too much for him to pay any attention. He then felt himself being picked up and Mary holding him in her arms as if he were a baby. He could feel that she was running through the building with him in her arms and the last thing he thought before the darkness took him was that _it wasn't fair._

 

****

Thorin woke up a few hours later, feeling his chest heavy and a little nauseous. He shifted a little in his bed and a sharp pain told him there was a IV in his arm. That was not his bed then, he was in the infirmary. _Again._

Tears came to his eyes. Thorin didn't like going to the infirmary. That was a scary, lonely place; it stank of medicine and whenever he was there, people kept poking him with needles, putting that IV in his arm and that _hurt_.

He was sick again and it wasn't fair. All he wanted was to get back to sleep, so it wouldn't be hurting anymore. He then felt gentle hands cradling his face and wiping his tears.

"Hey, sweetie, it's okay..." he heard Mary's soft voice. "You are in the infirmary. You got a little unwell, but we are taking care of you. Don't worry."

Reluctantly, Thorin opened his teary eyes and was greeted with the sight of Mary sitting in a chair right next to his bed. He looked around, all the lights of the ward were off except for the lamp on the nightstand. He looked at the window and saw that it was dark outside. How long had he slept?

He looked again at Mary. The caretaker had curly blond hair that was a little messy and her blue eyes were red as if she had been crying and it just made Thorin feel worse.

"Sorry." The boy said with a whisper.

"No, there is nothing to be sorry for. It's all right." She tried to smile reassuringly. "But you gave me such a fright back there. Why were you climbing on that chair?" She asked with a serious tone in her voice.

Thorin looked away and pulled the blanket until it covered his head. Gently, Mary pulled the blanket, uncovering Thorin's head who stubbornly kept looking away.

"None of that. Thorin, look at me."

The child bit his lip and looked with teary eyes at the caregiver.

"Why did you climb on that chair if you knew it was dangerous? You know you got dizzy easily, you could have fallen..."

"I wanted to see the other children playing." he blurted out "I can't play with them, but I wanted to see them. But then I was sad, and then my chest hurt, and I got dizzy and I'm sorry for making you worry and now you're mad at me..." Thorin rambled and started sobbing.

"Oh, Thorin, I’m not mad at you. Please don't cry." Mary looked as upset as Thorin when she rose from her chair and climbed into the bed, lying next to Thorin - mindful of IV wires attached to boy's arms - so she could comfort the distraught boy.

Mary hugged him and Thorin - upset, tired and sore as he was - buried his face in Mary's chest and cried inconsolably.

"Shh, it's okay Thorin." Mary said as she rubbed the child's back trying to calm him down, after all, it would not be good for him to get nervous and worked up and ending up having another episode. The two stayed like that for a few minutes until the boy had finally calmed down, the sobs subsiding until they were nothing more than soft hiccups.

"I'm very sick, aren't I?" Thorin said suddenly, catching Mary off guard.

The caregiver swallowed the lump in her throat. Although he was still a seven year old boy and although the doctors saying he would not be very smart because the complications he had during his first heart surgery when he was just a baby, Thorin was very perceptive. Mary was surprised because Thorin was asking that so directly, but really, she was more surprised that he had never asked that before.

"Indeed, you are sick, Thorin." She answered slowly, measuring her words. "Your heart, it is fragile, you know? But it is a very special and precious heart and we will do everything possible for it to keep beating, okay?"

"It's my fault?" He asked sniffling.

Mary bit her lip to keep from crying.

"No, sweetie, it’s not your fault. You were born that way."

"I was born sick?" He asked seriously, Mary nodded. "That's why I'm here at the orphanage? My parents did not want me because I'm sick?" Thorin asked with a trembling voice.

"Of course they wanted you, Thorin, I'm sure they loved you very much." Mary told him, running her fingers through his black hair.

"How do you know?"

Mary leaned on one elbow and looked into Thorin's eyes before touching his chest lightly.

"Because of this." She smiled.

Thorin frowned.

"My scar?"

"Yes. It is a special scar, do you know why?"

Thorin shook his head.

"Let me tell you a story, Thorin. Your story." Mary sighed. Thorin had stopped crying completely and was listening, she had the child's full attention "A long time ago there was a king, your father, and he was the king of Erebor, the kingdom under the Lonely Mountain, a place far, far away. Everyone under the mountain loved him and the queen, your mother, and everything was going well, except for the fact that the king and the queen had no children... "

That night, Thorin heard Mary tell his story and he never forgot what she told him. Every word was carved in him like a craftsman carves in stone. It didn't matter that Thorin had been transferred to another orphanage, more prepared to take care of a sick child like him, even if years had passed, he never forgot the story, and when things got too hard, he recited the story that Mary had told him over and over again. That night, he finally found out why he was different and that his parents really loved him. He no longer saw his heart as a diseased organ, but as something precious that he would carry with pride, until came the day that he would give his heart to the one he loved.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> I said I would update this fic last week, but I didn't had time to do this, I know, this is a lame excuse, but really, I worked at my store til 11:00 p.m. every day. It was tense :(  
> But today I give you the second chapter of this AU. Well, since this is a AU, there will be things that are canon compliant and things that are totally different from Untamed Heart movie plot. It may be the same events, but seen from a different perspective, if you know what I mean.  
> Also, because of that, I can not put all the tags not to ruin the surprise, but I promise I'll warn you in the notes if something is noteworthy, such as sex or violence.
> 
> Well, I hope you enjoy the second chapter, dontt forget to comment and give me your kudos!  
> Love you all!
> 
> Warnings:  
> Bilbo/Bard (just briefly, just because i needed someone to dump him, or there would not be a plot)  
> Self confidence issues

**_ Twenty years later ... _ **

_December_

_"Oh my God, I'm late! I'm so late!"_ Bilbo Baggins thought as he walked - almost running - hurriedly down the sidewalk toward his building.

Looking at his watch, Bilbo saw that it was half past seven. Fortunately, he was close to his building, he just had to walk a few more yards and - with any luck - he would have time to take a quick shower before Bard came to take him to their date tonight.

 

Bilbo felt cold and he shivered slightly. He looked around and saw that snow had fallen during the afternoon while he was at work and the sidewalks were white with snow. Said snow wasn't there that morning, of course, therefore he didn't think he would need a heavier coat. Damn that unstable weather! Mentally, he made a list of all the warm clothes in his closet that would be appropriate to go to the Theater and groaned, remembering that he had lent his best coat to his cousin Drogo and he had yet to return it.

 

Bilbo quickened his pace and soon he was inside his building, running up the stairs to the second floor, where he shared an apartment with his friend, Ori. The young man reached the top of the stairs and headed straight to the second door on the left - which was the door to his apartment - already with his keys in his hand. Quickly, Bilbo unlocked the door and stepped inside and immediately he felt the warmth emanating from his comfortable home, very different from the cold outside.

 

That was a 5-floor building in the city. The rent was cheap and the apartment was close enough to _"Gandalf's"_ , the Coffee Shop where he worked, and that was a good thing, because, at the same time that he could exercise his body a little , he could also save the money he would have to spend on the bus. The apartment was not large, but it was enough for him and Ori to live comfortably without stepping on each other's feet. The living room and the kitchen were a single large room, divided by a counter that was used as a table. There were two bedrooms - Ori's and Bilbo's - and a single bathroom in the hallway. Bilbo knew his modest apartment was nothing compared to the comfort of the house he had grown up in Bag End, but he would not complain. The apartment was a mess, but it was _his_ mess.

 

With quick steps, Bilbo went through the living room and headed straight to his bedroom. Bilbo glanced around briefly but he saw no sign of Ori. What he did see was that hateful fake plastic tree that his friend insisted on decorate for Christmas since the two began to share the apartment. Bilbo had to suppress a groan when he saw that it was there once again, standing in a corner in the living room, half-decorated and totally out of place. _'Horrible thing'_ he thought in distaste. He remembered that when he was a kid, they used to have a real tree, newly cut from the woods near his house. He could still remember the smell of pine, its vivid colors, and that once they got one that still had a nest attached to one of its branches. But he didn't have the time to let his mind wander to the memories of his childhood, he had more pressing matters - as getting ready for his date with Bard, for example.

 

The young man took off his clothes, grabbed a towel and went to the bathroom, where he took a quick shower before coming back to his bedroom. Bilbo grimaced as he glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Bard would be there in ten minutes, he had to hurry up! Bilbo opened the door of his closet and started looking for some decent clothes in the middle of that mess. He managed to find a pair of trousers that fit him very nicely, a white button down shirt and a green waistcoat, which matched the color of his eyes. Bilbo looked at himself through the mirror while trying to tame his wild blond curls and came to the conclusion that it could not get any better than that.

 

But Bilbo was, in fact, a handsome young man. At the age of twenty-six, he appeared to be younger than he really was and he had lost count of how many times he had been wooed by teenagers at the Coffee shop. And although his height had always been a problem - actually, 5'1'' was a ridiculous height - Bilbo considered himself to be very attractive. And also did Bard - at least he hoped so.

 

"Bilbo? Why are you home so early?"

 

The blond young man heard Ori's surprised voice echoing behind him and he turned around to see his friend standing in the doorway, wearing a gray wool sweater that he had knitted a few weeks ago, his short red hair had a new - weird - haircut and he carried what appeared to be a box full of ornaments to decorate the plastic christmas tree.

 

"I traded shifts with Dwalin so I could go to the theater with Bard. I thought I had told you that."

 

The coffee shop opened its doors at six o'clock in the morning and closed them at two in the morning of the next day, so there were many employees and many shifts. Bilbo had the night shift, usually beginning at 8:00 p.m. and finishing at 2:30 a.m. - because they had to stay another half hour just to clean up the place.

 

Dwalin worked during the afternoon, from midday to six. Bilbo was still surprised that his colleague had agreed to trade shifts with him. Dwalin was a scary man. He was tall, broad-shouldered, bald and very, very ill tempered. His arms, neck, and much of his bald head were covered with tattoos. He was the type of guy you'd see on TV in the UFC show - or a reality show set in some kind of prison.

 

So you can understand Bilbo's reluctance to ask for this favor. But Dwalin just said that it was okay, that he had a friend that would start working at Gandalf's in the night shift and that he would rather be there with the newbie so he would not feel so out of place among the other employees.

That went better than he expected.

 

"Oh, I must have forgotten" Ori said nodding. But then, he frowned. "Hold on, you're going on a date with _Bard_?" Ori asked with a confused expression and Bilbo nodded. "I thought you two were no longer together."

 

"What?" It was Bilbo's turn to frown in confusion "No, no, we've been a little distant, it is true, but we're not... we're fine, okay? Thanks for asking."

 

"Well, if you say so." Ori said, adjusting his grip on the box in his arms and walking toward the living room to resume the decorating.

 

Once Ori left him alone, Bilbo resumed the task of taming his curls, combing it with his fingers.

 

The hint of disapproval in Ori's voice wasn't lost on Bilbo. Ori tried to hide his distaste for Bilbo's boyfriend, but it was clear that his friend had never liked Bard, and that he never would. Sometimes, the red-haired young man acted very much like an older brother, trying to protect Bilbo of all those assholes Bilbo had the misfortune to fall in love with, but this time was different. Bilbo really liked Bard, and he really thought their relationship would work.

 

Bilbo and Bard had been together for more than a year now, and even though they had their ups and downs, the blond man was positive that one day Bard would finally ask him to move in with him. Bilbo had faith in Bard. He was tired of not having luck in love and Bard, even being a jerk sometimes, was not the worst boyfriend that Bilbo had ever had. That has to count for something.

 

A few minutes later, Bilbo heard the doorbell ringing.

 

"Bilbo!" Ori yelled from the living room "Bard is here!"

 

"I’m coming!" Bilbo answered.

 

He looked at the mirror one last time, checking if everything was okay, if he was good looking. He thought so, and even if he wasn't, he had no more time to do something about it. Bilbo grabbed a coat that hung in his closet - the second best coat he had - and left his bedroom, heading to the living room, where Bard was waiting for him.

 

Sure enough, Bard was in the living room. He was stunning, as usual. His slightly long black hair was framing his face and, for some reason, Bard had not shaved for what seemed to be a week and now he had a beard, and - Oh my... - Bilbo did not know that a simple _beard_ could make someone look so... sexy.

But there was something wrong with the way Bard was behaving and Bilbo noticed that as soon as he stepped into the living room. Bard would usually act as if he were in his own home: sitting sprawled on the couch, resting his feet on the coffee table, already with a beer in his hands that he would have taken from the fridge without so much as asking 'may I?'. Today Bard was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, his hands were hidden in the pockets of his leather jacket, was he looking around as if he something was bothering him and Bilbo felt a lump in his throat.

 

Then Bard seemed to notice Bilbo's presence in the room and the two looked at each other in silence for a second. That one second seemed to stretch for what seemed to be hours and then, finally, Bard opened his mouth to speak.

 

"Hello Bilbo." He said, his voice was hesitant.

 

 _‘This is not good.’_ Bilbo thought.

 

"H-hi Bard. Is everything o-okay?" Bilbo stammered.

 

Bard nodded awkwardly and looked away, shifting the weight from one leg to the other. He then cleared his throat and, surprisingly enough, he turned to Ori and said in the most serious tone that Bilbo had ever heard him saying.

 

"Er... Ori, could you please give us a minute?"

 

Ori, who until then had been politely ignoring the awkward interaction between the two, looked at Bard with wide eyes, then he looked at Bilbo, kind of looking for guidance, 'should I leave or should I stay?" was written on Ori's face. But Bilbo couldn't help him, he was too busy trying not to break like a glass that had been dropped on the floor.

 

"Of course." Ori said finally and left the living room, heading toward his bedroom to give Bilbo and Bard some privacy.

 

Bilbo heard the door to Ori's bedroom being closed and even though he knew they were alone now and Ori could not hear what Bard had to say, he still could not bring himself to say anything. It was as if Bilbo had stepped on a recurring dream - no, a recurring nightmare - which he knew the beginning, the middle and the end.

 

"What’s wrong?" Bilbo asked after a few moments of silence.

 

"We need to talk." Bard said.

 

No, they didn’t need to talk. Bilbo knew exactly what was going to happen.

 

****

As it turned out, Bard Bowman broke up with Bilbo. For no reason, apparently.

 

Bard started a speech of how that relationship was dying and the end was inevitable. He had other priorities - which did not include Bilbo, mind you - and he felt the need to see other people, but as he was a gentleman, he knew it would be degrading and humiliating for Bilbo to be cheated and he didn't deserved that, so he thought it would be better this way, putting an end to the relationship before he could do anything to hurt the blond man.

 

 _'Too late.'_ Bilbo thought bitterly.

 

He was hurt. He felt as if someone had ripped his heart out of his chest, thrown it on the floor, stepped on it before putting it back in place. Bilbo said nothing, he just sat there on the couch next to Bard, listening to his ex-boyfriend's lame excuses for what he was doing. Bilbo had been through this before, being dumped by a boyfriend, but it didn't make the experience any easier.

 

Bard kept going, and as if everything he had said wasn't enough, he also told Bilbo that he was very fond of him and that he still wanted him in his life... as a friend.

 

 _'Fuck you!'_ Bilbo shouted inside his head.

 

At some point Bilbo stopped listening. It was as if he was completely numb. Somewhere inside him, Bilbo knew he should be crying, arguing, shouting, doing something. He should be fighting, but he could not muster the strength to do so. There was no reason to do so, so he just stood there listening.

 

Sometime later Bilbo blinked, looked around, and saw that Bard was gone. He found himself alone in the living room and that's when Bilbo broke.

 

His loud sobs drew Ori's attention, who came into the living room only to find his friend huddled on the couch, crying inconsolably.

 

It had happened yesterday, and as much as Bilbo wanted to disappear - or stay in bed all day, which was easier, really, he had no strength to do anything else - he had a job waiting for him.

 

'Perhaps work will distract me enough for me to not think about it.' Bilbo thought hopefully.

 

Oh, he was _so_ wrong.

 

It was written on his face that he was shattered inside. Bofur, a good friend as he was, sure would notice it and when Bilbo brought a tray full of dirty cups that he had collected from the tables around the shop to the counter where Bofur was taking orders and cleaning the marble top, he could not help but ask his friend what was happening.

 

Bilbo never knew how to lie.

 

"He did WHAT?!" Bofur asked from across the counter, raising his voice, not giving a shit to the fact that the few customers still lingering at the shop at 1:00 a.m. had turned their heads to look at them disapprovingly. "I can't believe that dick dumped you!" he said, his voice was angry.

 

"Thanks Bofur, could you say that a little louder because I think that grandma on that table back there still isn't aware of my misery." Bilbo snorted before sitting on the stool in front of Bofur.

 

Bofur softened his expression and sighed, throwing the dish towel he was using to clean the counter over his shoulder, assuming an expression rarely displayed by the always cheerful young man with dark hair and mustache. An expression that meant he was worried.

 

"And how are you feeling?" He asked, more quietly, visibly worried about his friend when he saw his red rimmed eyes.

 

"Wonderful." Bilbo said ironically, crossing his arms over the counter and burying his face in them, defeated. "Why does it happen to me? Why does it always happen to me?" Bilbo whined and his voice was muffled. Bilbo looked up and there were tears in his eyes again. "What is wrong with me? Am I not pretty enough? Am I not a good lover? They always say the problem is not me, but them. They say that they are not ready for a serious relationship, or that they are reviewing their priorities in life, or that they are not good for me and they don't want to hurt me. But I don't believe that, because I'm the one who is always dumped in the trash as if I were an old doll which they got tired of playing with. Every time is like this, every time! I'm so tired..."

 

Bofur was silent during Bilbo's little outburst. He looked at Bilbo with his brown eyes and he could see that his friend was a mess. The usually impeccable black polo shirt and black apron with the store logo - it was the uniform of all the staff of Gandalf's - were crumpled and apparently it was the same one that Bilbo had used the day before. Bilbo's blond hair was a disaster, as if Bilbo had just fallen of the bed and come to work, and he had dark circles under his eyes, as if he had not slept at all. So different from Bilbo's usual self. It hurt Bofur to see his friend so sad.

 

Bofur and Bilbo were friends since Bilbo had started working at Gandalf's three years ago and there were only a few times he had seen his friend so distressed - and for someone who was not worth, what was worse - Bofur did not like Bard, he never liked him, but now he could say without a doubt that he hated the bastard.

 

"Bilbo ..."

 

Bofur sighed and bent down to pick something under the counter. He straightened up and placed a box of tissues in front of Bilbo. Without words, the blond man took one tissue from the box and wiped his face.

 

"Bilbo, you hear me now because I will only say this once." Bofur said with a serious tone, very much like a father scolding a child. "You'll stop right now with this nonsense of thinking less of yourself. There is nothing wrong with you. You're the kindest person I know, you always try to see the good side of things, and now that I'm thinking about it, you do have a nice ass." Bofur winked and smiled that mischievous smile of his.

 

"Bofur!" Bilbo said outraged.

 

"My point is, there's nothing wrong with you, don't be ridiculous. I don't know how that thought found its way up to inside this head of yours, but I think you should get rid of it quickly." Bofur said, going back to do what he doing before starting to talk to Bilbo "You just have to find the right guy, that's all."

 

"That's all?" Bilbo scoffed "You make it sound like it's easy."

 

"No, I know it's not easy, but you're not going to find the man of your dreams if you're just sitting there feeling sorry of yourself."

 

"I'm not..." Bilbo started to protest, but he knew it was pointless to try and argue with Bofur when he was like this. "Okay. And where should I start looking for the one that will be the love of my life, oh almighty source of wisdom." Bilbo said in mockery.

 

"You will not have to look very far, oh my unbelieving child." Bofur retorted and that mischievous smile was back on his face and it never led to anything good - or safe. Bofur nodded toward a point behind Bilbo and said softly so that only his friend would hear him. "Have you seen our newest work fellow?"

 

Bilbo frowned and turned around on the stool where he sat to look to where Bofur certainly wanted him to look.

 

There was a new employee in Gandalf's coffe shop. He was tall, much taller than Bilbo, he had broad shoulders, long black hair tied in a loose ponytail and he was wearing the uniform of the shop. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up showing the muscles of his arms and he wiped the floor with a mop. The man turned around slightly, getting into a perfect position, so Bilbo could see his face. The expression on his face was one of extreme concentration. He had a dark beard covering the angular lines of his jaw - yeah, he had a beard - and his skin was pale.

 

Yes, Bilbo could not deny that the man in question was attractive, but something about him seemed _off._

 

Bilbo knew he was staring, but he could not look away from the intriguing man in front of him. Then, as if he could sense that Bilbo was looking at him, the man looked up and their eyes met. The man's eyes were blue, a shade of blue that Bilbo had never seen before, deep blue like a gemstone, like sapphires. It was _mesmerizing_ , there was no other word to describe those eyes, so deep, as if the man were looking into Bilbo's soul and this thought made him shudder. The man held eye contact for a while before looking away and Bilbo couldn't tell if he was relieved or frustrated for not being able to look into those eyes anymore.

 

"Who is he?" Bilbo asked turning to look at Bofur again.

 

"He's Dwalin's friend, he started yesterday on the night shift."

 

"Yes, Dwalin told me." Bilbo said, remembering what Dwalin had told him when he had asked him to trade shifts.

 

Bofur raised an eyebrow, clearly baffled that his friend had known about the news before him, but he shrugged it off.

 

'Well, I was surprised to learn that Dwalin 'I'll-kill-you-if-you-look-at-me-the-wrong-way' Fundin had a friend. The two are very alike, in fact. He doesn't talk very much, he's got this look of who doesn't understand a word of what we're saying, although it does - what it is creepy - but he is very attractive. Why do not you give him a try?"

 

"I don’t even know his name! And with the luck I have, he probably is straight.”

 

"The guy's name is Thorin, I think." Bofur looked over Bilbo’s shoulders to where Thorin was still cleaning the floor and smiled flirtatiously. "I think he's cute. A bit creepy, but cute nonetheless. You could lose five minutes with him in the pantry. I would.”

 

"Next time I see Nori, I'll remember to tell him about his boyfriend flirting with the co-workers."

 

Bofur laughed and threw the towel he was using to clean the counter right on Bilbo's face, who smiled and threw it back to Bofur.

 

"Get back to work, Baggins." Bofur said in a mocking imitation of Mr. Gandalf's voice and disappeared behind the counter.

 

Bilbo laughed, and for a moment he actually felt better. Bofur's antics always improved his mood whenever he was feeling down and he thanked heaven for having a friend like him.

 

Bilbo turned around to get up from the stool and noticed that Thorin was not there anymore, that at some point during his interaction with Bofur the intriguing man of such sharp eyes had finished his task of cleaning the floor and had retreated to the back of the shop and Bilbo found himself missing Thorin's presence.

 

Bilbo scolded himself. He had just been dumped by his boyfriend and he was already looking for trouble. He shook his head and got back to work. He did not need someone to hook up with, someone to lose five minutes in the pantry - God! He wasn't a teenager! - he had already lost a good amount of time of his life making mistakes. He needed to take care of himself first, he needed time to heal.

 

If anything were to happen between him and Thorin -or anyone for that matter - it would still take some time.

 

Too bad fate had other plans...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please, tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!  
> I am happy that my new fic is being well accepted by you, thank all the kudos and comments and sorry for the delay - again - the chapters will be updated more often now that I'm home.  
> Bilbo and Thorin finally talk! Well, that wasn't exactly a talk, you will understand when you read.  
> thanks for reading!  
> :)

Bilbo went home that night, but he could not rest. The words Bofur had told him kept him tossing and turning in his bed, awake until the sunrise. Bilbo knew he had to stop thinking so poorly of himself and stop suffering for someone who did not deserve him, but it was easier said than done. The wound in his heart was still bleeding and it would take time for Bilbo to heal. But he would, eventually.

But still, Bilbo couldn't help the tears to come to his eyes when he got into his bedroom and looked at the dresser in the corner. There were the presents that Bilbo had bought for Bard, the presents Bilbo would have given to him for Christmas. The blond man had spent several days searching for the perfect presents to give to his boyfriend - ex-boyfriend, he corrected himself - and had spent several hours wrapping those packages carefully with colored paper and ribbons.

Bilbo wiped his face with the back of his hand furiously and tossed the packages in the trash can. Deep down inside he knew it was a childish attitude - those presents had been expensive and he could give them to someone else - but he just couldn't look at anything that reminded him of Bard without feeling bad, rejected, feeling as if he were nothing more than an insect that had been crushed by someone's shoes.

So… toss the presents in the trash he did, and every other belongings that Bard had left in his apartment had seen the same fate. Bard's tooth brush, his leather jacket, some DVD’s, his cologne, everything. He wished he could do the same to the feelings he still had for Bard, but for now it would have to do.

The next day, Bilbo woke up feeling a little better. Even though his head and eyes were aching due to his crying and lack of sleep, the heavy feeling in his heart was somewhat lighter. He thought that it was maybe because the reality of the facts was finally sinking in. Bard had dumped him, and there was nothing he could do about it. Life would not stop and wait for him, Bilbo had to move on.

So Bilbo went to Gandalf's that night with the firm purpose of head diving into his work and ignore that inner voice that kept telling him to pick up the phone and call Bard. His strategy had worked, more or less. He still had those moments where he had caught himself thinking of Bard, but they were lessening with each passing day.

A few nights later, a couple had come to Gandalf's to celebrate their first anniversary of marriage. The Gandalf's was not just a coffee shop; it was an excellent bakery as well. The cozy atmosphere and the various tables around the place made it a perfect place for such small family gatherings. More customers meant more work, more work meant a busy mind, and a busy mind meant he wouldn't think of Bard. It was perfect.

And as expected, Bilbo had been busy most of the night, getting orders, carrying trays, serving customers. With quick feet, skilled hands and a cheerful smile on his face, Bilbo managed to work efficiently and forget his problems.

 _"Two slices of lemon pie and two coffees, one with milk and sugar, the other black, no sugar_. Please." Bilbo said cheerfully and rapidly as he approached the counter, reading the card with the order of one of the tables.

Bofur, who was currently on the other side of the counter preparing a coffee for an impatient customer, stopped mid-action to look at his friend with a frown.

"Can you repeat that, but slowly enough so my human ears can hear?" Bofur said with a smile.

Bilbo rolled his eyes and simply handed him the card with the order. The blonde man leaned against the counter, waiting for the order to be ready for him to take to the customers occupying a table near the window. He was just standing there, looking at the different types of cakes, pies and cupcakes behind the glass of the counter when he noticed that Bofur was being very slow in preparing a simple coffee to go, but decided not comment it. Meanwhile Bofur's impatient customer snorted and cleared his throat, visibly trying to tell Bofur without words to hurry up. Needless to say Bofur didn't spare him a glance.

Bofur finished preparing the coffee and handed it to the impatient customer with a shameless fake smile. Without a word, the customer paid for the coffee and stormed out of the shop. Bilbo was sure he heard him cursing.

"What was that about?" Bilbo asked puzzled.

"If there's one thing I love it's when the customers keep rushing me." Bofur replied sarcastically.

"So you did it slowly on purpose? Just because he was rushing you? "Bilbo asked incredulously.

Bofur nodded with that mischievous grin of his.

"You are so brassy." Bilbo said, unable to hold a laugh.

"And I’m proud of it." Bofur winked at Bilbo, and then he began to prepare the coffees Bilbo had asked him, this time with his usual speed.

"One day Mr. Gandalf will see you treating his customers like that and you will not find it so funny." Bilbo said, still laughing.

"But I guess he will see you lazing around when you should be working sooner than that." Bofur said suddenly becoming serious.

“What?” Bilbo asked frowning in confusion.

“Mr. Baggins.” A deep voice rumbled behind Bilbo, making the blond man jump on his spot.

Trembling slightly, Bilbo turned around only to see Mr. Gandalf Grey standing there with his imposing height, with his well-tailored suit - gray, of course - and a stern expression on his face. The owner of the coffee shop was an intimidating man. He might be an old man - Mr. Gandalf's exact age was a mystery and reason of betting among the staff of the shop - but his blue eyes were sharp and cold, like an eagle. Mr. Gandalf was not the type of person who would scold you with words, no, no, no, just one glance was enough to make the most tough guy - yes, I am talking about Dwalin - stutter and look away.

Bilbo felt now like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Any particular reason for you to be here _'lazing around'_?" asked Gandalf and Bilbo blushed embarrassed.

"Uh… well... I..." he stammered.

"A little less talk and a little more work, Mr. Baggins. Don't make me have to separate you two and put you and Mr. Urson in different shifts. Again."

"Yes sir." Bilbo nodded and lowered his head.

" _Two slices of lemon pie and two coffees, one with milk and sugar, the other black, no sugar_. Ready." Bofur said breaking the silence. Apparently, during that little interaction, he had prepared the two coffees and the two slices of pie and placed then in the tray he was now pushing towards Bilbo.

"Ah, the order. I have to..." Bilbo said, glad for the interruption, 'cause Bofur had given to him a perfect excuse to escape from the scrutiny of his boss. "If you excuse me…”

"In fact, let Bofur take care of it." Then he looked at Bofur and said "Politely, please, I saw how you handled the situation with that customer and we'll have a talk later." Then Gandalf turned to Bilbo again "I need you to go fetch Thorin for me. He still needs to fill out some forms for the records. Tell him to come to my office as soon as possible. I'll be waiting."

"Okay." Bilbo said confused.

And with that, Gandalf walked away, heading to a door with a sign that said ‘Employees only’, and disappeared behind the door.

"Uh, that was close." Bofur said with a cheerful tone.

Bilbo just couldn’t believe his friend was so calm.

"I swear, one day you'll get us both fired."

"Nonsense. Grandpa Gandalf loves us. He has this hard exterior, but he's a real softie inside." He smiled confidently

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." Bilbo snorted. "Have you seen Thorin?"

"I think he's in the kitchen. He is always there helping Bombur with the dishes."

Bilbo nodded and walked around the counter to reach the door to the kitchen which was behind the counter so that only employees would have access. Bilbo didn’t know why Gandalf wanted him to do that. It would have been easier to ask that to Bofur, since his friend was already behind the counter, but then, he hadn’t talked with the guy not even once since he had been hired four days ago, so he thought it would be his opportunity to introduce himself.

"Thorin?" Bilbo called for his colleague as he pushed the door open, but got no response. "Thorin?" He called again peering into the kitchen.

The kitchen was fairly large, with an island in the center, several shelves with utensils that divided the kitchen into two separate sections, an oven and an industrial freezer. In the kitchen there was also the door to the room that was used as a pantry and the back door that led to a desert alley.

Bombur, the cook working at the night shift and Bofur's brother, should be in his 30 minutes break because the kitchen was apparently quiet and empty.

"Thorin?" Bilbo asked again, almost giving up of looking for the guy in the kitchen, but then he saw a shadow behind one of the shelves

Silently, Bilbo walked through the kitchen, heading toward the shelves. When he reached the shelves he stopped abruptly when he saw the scene in front of him: He was not mistaken, the shadow that Bilbo had seen was indeed Thorin's silhouette. The dark-haired man was there, cradling his hand with a pained expression on his face; on the floor, laid the shards of what looked like were a glass bowl and the most disturbing thing: blood. Blood on the floor and blood dripping from Thorin hand. He looked at that scene in astonishment for a long time - in fact it was only a second - until the moment when the seriousness of the situation sank in.

_Thorin was hurt._

"Oh my God!" Bilbo said and Thorin finally seemed to notice his presence, 'cause he raised his head and looked at Bilbo with those deep blue eyes and for a moment, Bilbo thought he saw fear in them.

Ignoring this, Bilbo took a step forward and without thinking, he grabbed Thorin's injured hand to examine it. Thorin flinched, but Bilbo chose to ignore it as well, he was more concerned in examining the wound to make sure he would not have to call an ambulance.

"Thorin..." Bilbo said frowning, visibly worried. There was a nasty gash in the palm of Thorin's hand that was bleeding and seemed deep. "How did you do that...?"

Bilbo was starting to ask, but then he looked again to the broken glass on the floor and he could guess what had happened. Probably Thorin had dropped the bowl and was just trying to clean the mess when he had hurt himself.

Poor thing.

"Come here." Bilbo said, making a decision.

Bilbo didn't wait for Thorin to move, he just dragged the wounded man to the metal sink on the wall to wash his hand so he could get a better look at the wound. Bilbo turned on the tap and guided Thorin's hand to the stream of water. The man hissed in pain and tried to retract his hand.

"Sorry, sorry, but I need to clean this up." Bilbo said, his tone was really sorry.

Bilbo was cleaning the wound but he saw with the corner of the eye that the dark-haired man was staring at him with a strange expression, a stunned expression and Bilbo did not know what to think of it.

Thorin hesitated for a moment, but eventually he let Bilbo guide his hand back into the water.

"Sorry." Bilbo said when Thorin had hissed in pain again.

Thorin didn't say a word and an awkward silence fell between the two. Bilbo tried to focus on the task of cleaning the wound until he deemed it finished.

Bilbo turned off the tap and took a good look at the wound on Thorin's hand. Yup, the cut was deep. He would had to take care of it. Good thing was that Bilbo was the 'nurse in duty' of the shop. Everyone who got hurt would seek Bilbo because he was always gentle and careful when taking care of injuries.

"Follow me." Said Bilbo, leading Thorin through the kitchen and the dark haired man quietly letting himself be led. "Wait here for a second, I'll get the first aid kit." Bilbo told him, leaving him near the island as he walked to a cabinet in the corner near the pantry.

The blond man came back a few minutes later bringing the first aid kit. When he approached Thorin again, the dark-haired man seemed to be watching Bilbo's every movement. Bilbo placed the first aid kit on the kitchen island, opened it, and he had noted that Thorin averted his gaze, trying to not see the objects Bilbo was taking out of the box.

"Are you okay?" Bilbo asked.

Thorin blinked a few times and nodded, lowering his head.

Bilbo grabbed a bottle with antiseptic liquid and a cotton ball. He soaked the cotton ball in the liquid and leaned forward to start to disinfect the wound. Noticing the distress of Thorin, Bilbo thought it was best that he did not grab the hand of the man without warning as he had done before, instead, he held out his hand and waited for Thorin make the move. Thorin looked into Bilbo's eyes again and the shorter man tried not to feel overwhelmed by the intensity of those eyes. Instead, he smiled encouragingly. Slowly, very slowly, Thorin held out his hand for Bilbo to take.

And yet, Thorin had not said a word.

"This may hurt a little bit, sorry." Bilbo said apologetically

He heard Thorin sucking in a breath when the cotton made contact with his skin and Bilbo wondered if Thorin was feeling this much pain or if he just didn't like seeing medical procedures.

 _Some people are more sensitive than others_ , Bilbo thought.

Now that Bilbo could look at the wound under a better light, he could see the it was not so serious as he had thought at first. Thorin wouldn't even need stitches.

But that was not the only thing he noticed about the dark haired man.

"What is that?" Bilbo asked, frowning as he looked at Thorin's calloused hand. "Are these wooden splinters?" He raised his head and looked at Thorin for one second until realization hit him. "Oh yeah, you have a part-time job bringing pine trees to that flower shop down the street, isn't it? I saw you there yesterday." Bilbo blushed when he realized what he had just said. "Not that I was stalking you or anything like that... I was there looking for seeds, I want to grow some hydrangeas in my windowsill, they will bloom in the spring if I plant them now. I'm rambling, aren't I? I... I'll shut up now." Bilbo said looking away.

 _'Good job, Bilbo! That was the best first impression of all times!_ ' Bilbo thought to himself.

He applied a thin layer of antibacterial ointment in Thorin's hand and then he grabbed a gauze to wrap the hand of the dark-haired man.

"Where are my manners? I am here patching you up and I haven't introduced myself." Bilbo said, breaking the silence that had fallen between the two again. "My name is Bilbo Baggins." He looked at Thorin and smiled kindly before lowering his head to resume his task of bandaging the injured hand.

"Thorin." Bilbo heard a deep, husky voice saying and he raised his head to see Thorin looking at him with those deep blue eyes and this time Bilbo saw when he opened his mouth and said: "My name is Thorin Oakenshield." He said and looked away, blushing.

Bilbo was surprised to finally hear Thorin's voice. It was deep and hoarse, so masculine and strong. Bilbo wondered how that voice would sound like heavy with sleep in the morning, or how it would sound like whispered in his ear...

 _'No Bilbo! Stop it!_ ' Bilbo scolded himself.

"Well, nice to meet you, Thorin." Bilbo said with a smile, trying to make Thorin feel comfortable to speak again if he so wished, while he tried to suppress extremely inappropriate thoughts.

Thorin smiled shyly and said no more and Bilbo began to think that his first impression had not been so bad after all. Silently Bilbo finished his work on Thorin's hand and began to put the things back in the little white box.

"There you go, all done. Just try to keep the wound clean and dry, okay?"

Thorin opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, but then he heard the sound of the kitchen door being open and footsteps approaching. Thorin looked away and seemed to swallow the words he was about to say.

"Uh ... Bilbo?"

Bilbo turned his head in the direction that voice had come and he saw Bofur standing there in the middle of the kitchen, looking at them with a puzzled look.

 "I need a little help here." Bofur said, pointing to the main area of the store, but then he seemed to realize the tense atmosphere in the air and the dark-haired man frowned. "It's everything all right?" Bofur asked puzzled.

"Yes, yes." Bilbo answered immediately. "All right." Bilbo turned to Thorin and smiled apologetically. "Can you put the first aid kit back in that cabinet for me, please?" Bilbo began to walk away from Thorin when he turned around suddenly. "Oh yes, Mr. Gandalf wants to see you in his office. He said you have to fill out some forms or something." Bilbo delivered the message that was the real reason for him to come looking for Thorin in first place. "See you later, Thorin."

With a smile and a wave of his hand, Bilbo followed Bofur out of the kitchen, leaving Thorin alone.

Bilbo didn't hear the muffled "Thank you" Thorin whispered once he was alone, nor that he was still standing there a few minutes later, looking at the bandage on his hand in amazement and awe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave your Kudos and Comments!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!  
> I'm so sorry for the long wait, I know i promised I would update this fic more often, but I got a new job that is quite far from my home, I have to take a bus and a train to get to my job and I arrive home really late everyday, and I really didn't had the time. This chapter was basically written on my cell phone while I was on the bus and on the train, because I couldn't leave this fic on hiatus.  
> I won't make any promises now, I'll just say that I'll do my best to update asap, so stay tuned for the next chapter :)
> 
> WARNING - Attempted Rape

Bilbo had not seen Thorin since last night, not after Bofur had so subtly asked Bilbo to help him with a small issue. The _'small issue'_ , Bilbo found out later, was because Bofur refused to serve a customer who was - according to Bofur - an annoying douchebag, and if Mr. Gandalf saw him being rude to another customer, he would be grounded for a week, which meant that Bofur would have to stay outside the store freezing to death all night holding a tray and offering free samples of their baked goods to the public. So... Bilbo had to help him.

However, Thorin had not left his thoughts for the rest of the night. There was something intriguing about the way that man with piercing blue eyes stared at Bilbo and then looked away shyly. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but decided to stay silent instead. Bilbo was still curious about what Thorin wanted to tell him when Bofur had interrupted them. Thorin hadn't talked much and was shy to the point of blushing just because Bilbo had smiled at him. Bilbo could not deny that it was cute, but it was sad at the same time. Thorin had looked so surprised when Bilbo had tended to his wound and he wondered if Thorin wasn't used to such display of kindness. Didn't he had any friends? Bofur had told him that Dwalin and Thorin were friends, but Dwalin didn't seem like the kind of person one would turn to if they needed a hug, if you know what I mean. Bilbo wondered if he should, you know, invite Thorin to hang out sometime.

Just as friends, of course.

The guy looked like he needed one.

 

****

That night, the coffee shop wasn't crowded as the night before. It was Saturday night, and the only customers still lingering in the shop after midnight were a few college students who came to Gandalf's every Saturday night to discuss about books and art in general. Sometimes Bilbo joined these meetings, having a passion for English Literature himself, so it wasn't rare to see him among the students, giving his own opinions about the modern literature. Seriously, he was still traumatized by that heresy disguised as a book called _'Fifty shades of Gray'_ and he voiced his displeasure, saying that he should have downloaded the book on internet instead of buying it, so it would be easier to move it to the trash can. It earned him a few minutes of amused laughter from the young students. On the other hand, Mr. Gandalf did not seem as amused as the customers as he glared at Bilbo from the distance, saying without words to the young blond man to move his ass and get back to work.

So before Mr. Gandalf could say that he was _'lazing around'_ again, Bilbo excused himself and went behind the counter to prepare the cafes the students had ordered some time ago.

Meanwhile, two men stepped inside the shop and sat at one of the empty tables by the window. One of them was blond and was wearing a blue heavy coat, the other man had dark hair and was wearing a black leather jacket and a red scarf.

"Bofur?" Bilbo turned to his friend who was currently cleaning the counter with a dish rag. "Can you take care of those customers over there?" Bilbo nodded toward the table with the newcomers. "I'm a little busy right now." He said apologetically, giving Bofur his best puppy dog eyes. He knew Bofur couldn't resist to that.

Bofur looked at Bilbo, then looked at the table, then looked back at Bilbo and the blond man thought for a minute that his strategy had not worked, but then his friend huffed defeated.

"Okay, I will do this for you. But… it's just because they're the hottest customers I've seen this week." He said, leaving the dish rag aside and grabbing a writing pad before starting to walk toward the table by the window.

Bilbo smiled to himself and went back to prepare the cafes for the students, but less than a minute later Bofur returned to the counter with a strange expression on his face.

"What's the matter?" Bilbo asked, frowning his brow in confusion.

"The hot guys? They don’t want me to take their orders. _'We want the cute blond over there.'_ They said." Bofur said and raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Bilbo frowned again. It was not uncommon for him - being kind, cheerful and friendly as he was - to win the customers sympathy. Said customers returned to the coffee shop and preferred to be tended only by him. The problem was... Bilbo did not know these men, so there was no reason for them to request Bilbo's services, which was strange.

But this had not been the strangest request that Bilbo had heard during the three years that he had worked at that establishment - he still remembered one time when an old lady demanded Dwalin to leave the shop while she was there, just because she didn't liked him - so he shrugged it off, not giving much thought to it.

"Can you finish these cafes for me then?" He asked Bofur, wiping his hands on his apron.

"Of course." Bofur replied, walking around the counter and resuming the preparation of the cafes from where Bilbo had stopped.

The shorter man took the writing pad that Bofur had left on the counter and walked around the counter, heading toward the table where the two clients were waiting. When Bilbo approached the table, he could hear that the two men were talking to each other, whispering and giggling, but something about it just seemed _off_.

Bilbo came to a stop by the table and the two men stopped whispering, as if they were talking about him. The blond man with the blue coat turned around to face Bilbo, looked him up and down then he smiled, flashing his white teeth.

"Hello!" The blond man said, and the way he was looking at Bilbo made him feel very, very uncomfortable.

Trying to suppress his discomfort, Bilbo smiled politely.

"Good evening and welcome to Gandalf's. Can I have your orders?" Bilbo said, skipping the small talk he usually engaged with the customers.

The blond man leaned forward, still smiling.

"What is your name, sweetheart?" The blond man asked, his voice was soft and low, he was obviously flirting with Bilbo.

_What the hell??_

Bilbo took a deep breath and simply pointed to the tag pinned on his apron with his name written on it.

"Bilbo, yeah? It's an exotic name. I liked it." He kept smiling. "I'm Dan and he is Richie." He said, pointing to the dark haired man wearing the red scarf. "You see, it's the first time we come to this nice coffee shop, so we don't know yet what is good and what isn't. I was wondering if you could help me... is there something you would suggest for me to drink?"

"Well, the weather is quite cold. How about a hot chocolate?" He suggested, all business like, but still with a small smile just not to seem rude.

"That's a good idea." Dan smiled. "I really was in need of something sweet and hot to warm me up tonight." He smiled a wolfish smile. "A hot chocolate would be welcome as well."

It was impossible not to blush in embarrassment when Bilbo understood what the man had meant by that. That was _so_ inappropriate. Dan noticed his discomfort and started chuckling. Bilbo cleared his throat and turned to the dark haired man -Richie - trying to ignore the blond man.

"What about you?" Bilbo asked, trying to smile and failing miserably.

Richie wasn't smiling like his friend, but there was something predatory in his eyes. Bilbo felt a lot like a rabbit who caught the eyes of a dangerous predator.

And if that wasn't reason enough for Bilbo to think this whole situation was scary, Richie just said:

"What I want is not on the menu." He said, his voice was deep. "But I think a coffee should suffice. For now."

_What the fuck???_

It sent chills down his spine, but not in a good way. Again, he cleared his throat and wrote in his writing pad not to have to look to the customers any longer.

"V-very well. A hot chocolate and a coffee. Got it. I'll be r-right back." Bilbo said and turned around, walking away from that table without looking back.

It wasn't the first time that Bilbo had been the target of flirtatious customers and inappropriate jokes. He usually didn't mind, and sometimes he even joked along with them, just for the fun of it. But there was something... he couldn't explain... something was just wrong with those two guys and Bilbo didn't want to be in their presence for more than it was necessary.

He quickly headed to the other side of the counter to prepare the orders as fast as he could. Bofur gave him a questioning look, but Bilbo just shook his head as if to say _'Not now'_ and once it was done, he put the cups on a tray and headed back to their table. Bilbo came over and noticed that once again Dan and Richie were whispering one to another and again they've stopped whispering when they noticed that Bilbo was coming. Faking a smile, Bilbo took the first steaming cup in his hand and placed it on the table, in front of Dan.

"Here... one hot chocolate..."

"Thank you." Dan nodded politely.

"And here ..." he said placing the other cup in front of Richie. "One coffee."

Before Bilbo could retract his arm, the dark haired man held out his hand and grabbed his wrist, startling him.

"You're so pretty, you know that?" Richie said.

A shiver ran down his spine again. Now he was in panic. That was way out of line. Richie looked deeply into his eyes and all that Bilbo could see was a predator behind those deep blue eyes. He could feel it in the way that Richie held his wrist with unnecessary force, the way he looked at him, the low tone of his voice. They - the both of them - were up to no good.

_Damn!_

"Can you please let go of my wrist?" Bilbo said, voice trembling slightly. He tried to pull his arm away to free himself but it was useless.

"What's the hurry?" Richie said with a serious face. "Why don’t you stay here with us, uh? Keep us company and enjoy the evening."

Suddenly Bilbo felt fear. He couldn't keep denying it. That was totally wrong.

DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! His brain was screaming at him.

He was wondering if he should start scream for help when he was startled again by Dan, who barked a laugh.

"Richie, please. He must be busy now. Let him go.”

Bilbo and Richie looked at each other for a moment, then the dark haired man did as he was told, losing his grip on Bilbo's wrist who took a few steps back on shaky legs. Then, the shorter man hit his back on a hard surface. Startled, he turned around and saw none other than Thorin, the hard surface in which Bilbo had bumped into being his muscled chest.

Bilbo looked at his face and noticed the tense lines in Thorin's forehead, the way his jaw was clenched and the tight grip he had on the broomstick he was holding, like he was about to break it as if it was a simple twig. It was evident in Thorin's face that he was displeased with something - to say the least - and for a moment Bilbo thought he was mad at him for having bumped into him, but no, he noticed that Thorin was looking - glaring, really - at something behind Bilbo's shoulder, towards the table where Dan and Richie were sitting at. His apparent anger was not directed at Bilbo, but at those customers.

"Are you alright?" Thorin asked him between gritted teeth, his eyes were still fixed on the two guys.

Thorin was like a dog on a leash, waiting for just one word from Bilbo for him to strike against those who were threatening the weakest member of his pack. The shorter man felt something weird in the pit of his stomach at that realization.

Thorin barely knew him, they were basically strangers, but still, Thorin was there, ready to step into a potentially dangerous situation just to help him, a situation that had nothing to do with him. Maybe it was just Thorin showing his gratitude because Bilbo had helped him the night before, but the gesture was welcome nonetheless.

"I'm fine." Bilbo told him, placing a light hand in Thorin's arm in a placating manner. Somehow, Bilbo felt that Thorin was the one who needed to be calmed down.

Finally, Thorin looked at Bilbo and they maintained eye contact for a second before those deep blue eyes had started to wander over Bilbo's body. But unlike before when those creepy customers had done the same, Bilbo didn't feel bothered by Thorin's scrutiny, since he was only making sure that he was alright. Then, those deep blue eyes landed on his bruised wrist. Bilbo noticed with some apprehension that Thorin had stopped breathing for a second before averting his gaze toward the two customers again, glaring daggers in their direction.

Bilbo had never seen such hatred in someone's eyes before. He was sure that if he so much as blinked in a way that Thorin would consider as painful, all the hell would break loose. He couldn't let that happen, not only because it would be a scene in their workplace and Gandalf wouldn't be pleased to see his employees fighting with the clients (it wouldn't be good for business), but also because Bilbo didn't want Thorin to get hurt.

So Bilbo had smiled and tightened his hand over Thorin's arm, reassuringly.

"I'm okay, Thorin, really. It was nothing." Bilbo said each word slowly so Thorin could hear each one of them and he tried to show with that gesture that he was fine and that Thorin should calm down.

The blue-eyed man looked at Bilbo again and nodded gruffly. Then he looked at the two guys who had been drinking their hot drinks like nothing had happened.

Then Thorin said just one word:

 _“Leave.”_ His deep voice rumbled.

The two guys looked at each other, they were not dense enough to not notice the threat behind that simple word.

Thorin could be very intimidating.

Without so much as protest, Dan and Richie stood up, throwing some money on the table before walking out the door of the establishment. Thorin stood beside Bilbo until the two customers had disappeared through the door. Bilbo sighed in relief and turned around to look at Thorin's face.

"Thank you, Thorin." Bilbo said, releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Thorin changed the weight from one leg to another and looked away, visibly uncomfortable. The taller man then seemed to lose all that intimidating posture he had a minute ago, and now he became that shy guy who Bilbo had met the night before.

With a final nod, Thorin turned around and crossed the shop with long strides, he went behind the counter and disappeared behind the kitchen door, leaving Bilbo alone to think about what had just happened.

"What was that?" Bilbo wondered, still astonished. It was not the first time that Bilbo had to deal with a bully, but it was the first time he had been afraid that something bad might have happened.

Thank God they were gone without causing any more problems.

Also, he had a lot to thank Thorin.

The rest of the evening went on without further disturbances, something which Bilbo was grateful for. He would label this as 'a bad day at work' and put everything that had happened behind him and hopefully it would be the last time he would see or hear about Dan and Richie.

2:30 a.m. could not have come any sooner. He changed his apron for a red coat and straightened his messenger bag on his shoulder. He wanted to talk to Thorin before he left, but the taller man was nowhere to be seen. He wanted to thank him again, but it seemed like it would have to wait a better time. With a wave of his hand he said goodbye to his colleagues and walked down the street, completely alone, starting the twenty five minute walk to his apartment.

He did not realize he was being followed.

The night was silent and cold. His blonde curls were blowing in the wind and every time he let out a breath, he could see small white clouds close to his mouth. His hands were shoved inside the pockets of his coat and he walked at a fast pace, trying to get faster to his home and leave this terrible cold behind him. God, he could feel the cold in his bones! As he walked in that silent street, he thought that all that he needed to feel better was to take a hot bath and have a good night's sleep in his comfortable, warm bed. He wouldn’t have to work the next day, so he would have all the time in the world to rest and that thought alone was enough to bring a smile to his face.

There was a park not far from the street where Bilbo lived in his modest apartment. It was a large green space with several trees, wooden benches and a playground - with swings, slides, seesaws and everything - where the kids from the neighborhood could play.

During the day, it was common to hear the sounds of children running around the place, playing with each other and laughing, but at night the park was quiet and empty, almost dead. Bilbo was used to the routine of walking through the park at two in the morning. It was the shortest way to the building where he lived and usually the fact that he was walking through a poorly lit and potentially dangerous place had never bothered him.

Until now.

As Bilbo kept walking, he suddenly could hear another set of feet making sounds a few feet behind him. He stopped in his tracks for a second and noticed that the other set of feet had stopped as well.

He was being followed.

Bilbo felt a chill running down his spine that nothing had to do with the cold weather around him and his heart began to beat fast in his chest. He didn't have to turn around to see who was following him, something inside him told him that he knew exactly who it was.

"Hey, Bilbo!" Sure enough, Bilbo heard a familiar voice right behind him. "What a coincidence that we meet again!" Dan said with false surprise.

"Incredible coincidence, indeed." Richie agreed.

Bilbo could hear the two men getting closer and he knew he had to run, he had to get out of that place, but fear had paralyzed him. The two men approached and started to walk in circles around him, like wolves surrounding a prey. Now that they were in front of him, he could see their faces, their eyes bright with excitement, their predatory smile. They weren't hiding behind any masks, Bilbo could see all the malevolence in their faces.

Bilbo could not believe this was happening to him.

"Where were you going anyway?" Richie asked, stepping forward and Bilbo couldn't help but take a step back. "Don't you want to come with us and do something fun?" Bilbo could hear all kinds of ulterior motives in those words.

"H-home. I - I was going home." Bilbo stammered. "I've worked all night, I'm tired and I just want to go home." The young man still clung to that tiny thread of hope, thinking that if he refused them hard enough, they would leave him alone.

He was so wrong.

"Are you alone? Don't you know this is a dangerous place for you to be at this time of night?" Dan said with his soft voice.

"Especially for a pretty little thing like you." Richie said with something dark in his voice.

Richie reached out his hand to touch Bilbo's face and it was then that the seriousness of the situation had finally hit him: They would touch him. They would touch him and hurt him, and no one would help him because he was in a desert park at two in the fucking morning.

Bilbo couldn't let that happen.

The instinct of self-preservation was stronger than the fear he was feeling. With a quick movement, Bilbo threw his messenger bag on Richie's face. The blow was enough to distract him momentarily, giving Bilbo time to run away from the two men.

_"You can run, but you can't hide!"_

Bilbo heard one of them shouting behind him. He didn't know who and he didn't care, he was too busy trying to put as much distance as possible between him and the guys who were chasing him. Bilbo ran through the trees to try to outwit the two men. If only he could get out of the park and get to the main street, maybe he could ask someone for help.

Why did he had to take the shortcut through the park? Why didn't he took the main street to get back home? The main street was well lit and full of people. Maybe he would take a little longer to get home, but it was a safer route than the park.

He was so stupid.

He could hear them approaching and then he felt one hand grabbing his left arm. The other hand grabbed at his hair and pulled, making Bilbo scream in pain. Bilbo started to kick and punch aimlessly, but the grip on his arm and hair only tightened. He turned around and saw that Dan was the one who had caught him.

"Let me go!" Bilbo shouted, struggling and trying to break free.

"You're a fast runner, you know?" Dan said, tightening his grip around Bilbo's arm. "I like a good chase, it just makes everything more exciting."

Dan had Bilbo virtually immobilized in his arms, the shorter man could only cry in despair when the assaulter leaned forward with a wolfish smile and licked Bilbo's cheek.

"Help!" Bilbo screamed from the top of his lungs, still struggling. "Somebody help me!"

"Oh darling, you can cry all you want, nobody is going to hear you." Dan said with a sadistic smile.

Bilbo looked over Dan's shoulder and he saw that Richie was running toward them with an evil smile on his face.

He had to escape. He couldn't let the two of them lay their hands on him.

Bilbo could fight against one man, this would be no problem: He had legs, nails and teeth to defend himself. He wasn't a defenseless boy, he wouldn't let himself be violated by one man, not without fighting like a cat. But two... two strong men as they were could take him down so easily. If he left the other man approach him, if he left the two of them lay their hands on him at the same time, if he left them hold him down, it would be all over. He would have no chance.

Later, if someone asked Bilbo how he managed to do it, he wouldn't be able to answer. Maybe it was the adrenaline rushing through his veins, maybe it was the fight or flight response, he didn't know. All that Bilbo knew was that he managed to hit a punch on Dan's nose.

The blond man grunted in pain and took a few steps back, stumbling on his legs and falling to the ground, releasing Bilbo's arm. His hands were covering his probably broken nose, trying to stop the blood that was running down his face and his eyes were wide with surprise. Yeah, he was not expecting this.

 _"Son of a bitch!"_ Dan cursed, his voice was muffled because of the bruised nose. _"That little shit just broke my nose!"_

That was his chance, he had to run now that one of the assaulters was out of action. And that was exactly what he did, he started to run, but Bilbo only had time to take a few steps before he felt arms closing around him again, this time it was Richie who managed to capture him.

"You're going to be one of the difficult ones, aren't you?" Richie said wrapping his arms around the smaller man's waist, who started to scream and kick desperately. "Let's see how much you can take before you break."

"No! No! Let me go!"

"Shut up, you little shit!"

Fortunately enough, one of Bilbo's kicks managed to hit Richie's knee, causing him to lose his balance and loose his hold around Bilbo. Seeing this as another opportunity to escape, Bilbo tried to pull away, but Richie kept holding the sleeve of his coat.

Bilbo didn't think twice. With a quick flick of his shoulder he released his arms off the sleeves of the coat and started running, leaving the assaulters and his coat behind.

Bilbo began to run again, stumbling along the way and gasping for air. He couldn't believe that he had escaped from the hands of the attackers again. He looked ahead, he could see the lights of the main street and he could hear the noise of the cars. If only he could reach the street, he would be safe. It was so close, he just had to run a little more...

But unfortunately, his good luck seemed to have come to an end. The park was dark, and Bilbo never saw the stone in the middle of the way. He stepped on the stone and twisted his ankle, falling to the ground with a pained cry.

"No, no, no, no ..." Bilbo thought in despair. This could not have happened. He tried to get up, but he felt an excruciating pain in his foot, causing him to fall to the ground again.

Tears came to his eyes when he heard two sets of feet approaching him. Dan and Richie had found him. He tried to get on all fours to try to crawl away from them, but his efforts proved to be futile. He felt hands grabbing his ankles, causing him incredible pain. A second set of hands grabbed his arms and made him turn around, making him lie on his back. Then, he saw Dan and Richie hovering over him. Richie was the one pinning his arms down and Dan was straddling Bilbo's legs, leaving him completely unable to move. Bilbo began to scream.

"No! Please! Don’t hurt me!" Bilbo pleaded in panic, tears falling from his green eyes.

"Too bad. Since you made us run after you, I think we deserve a reward." Richie said, unimpressed with Bilbo's desperate plea.

His biggest fear had come true: the both of them were holding him down, there would be no escape now. Then, to make matters worse, Dan started to rip Bilbo's shirt open, there was a manic shine in his eyes and Bilbo just knew that he wouldn't make it out alive. The shorter man started screaming and kicking again.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Bilbo screamed again.

"Man, we're close to the street, someone might hear him." Richie mused, looking to the side to make sure that no one has heard Bilbo's screaming and was now coming to see what was happening.

"I will make him shut up."

Dan raised his hand and aimed the punch. Bilbo saw everything happening as if it were in slow motion and during the time that lasted one second, Bilbo thought: "That's it? That's how I'm going to die? I did not deserve it. I hope I will pass out and don't feel anything..."

Bilbo closed his eyes and held his breath, bracing himself for the punch. The punch hit him on his left cheek and that was enough to knock him out.

Bilbo passed out as he had expected and he saw nothing more, not even the shadowy figure who had followed him and the aggressors to the park who now were approaching them silently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked it, please comment! : )


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear friends!  
> This note will be long, so let's go.  
> I spent more than a week writing this chapter - before I forget, sorry for the cliffhanger and the long, long wait -. At first, I wasn't sure of what I wanted to do, but then I decided it would be cool to write Thorin's POV since the last chapter ended with an unconscious Bilbo.  
> But then I just couldn't get into Thorin's mindset - which was very frustrating, I might add. But, I like challenges, so I didn't give up and I kept trying. I think I managed to write a good chapter after all. It is very long - to make up for the long wait - and I hope you like it.  
> Please, tell me in comments if you want the next chapter to be Bilbo's POV or Thorin's POV again.
> 
> PS - I want to create a blog where you, my dear readers, would be able to comunicate with me and send me prompts. But I can't think of a good name for the blog. Any sugestion???
> 
> WARNING! - attempted rape, graphic description of violence.

Thorin was unloading freshly cut pine trees from the truck parked in front of the flower shop called “ _Woodland Realm”_ when Dwalin had found him.

At first glance, Thorin had not recognized his friend. He was quite different from what Thorin could remember. Dwalin had always been a strong, broad-shouldered man, but the military training had definitely made him even bigger. He was also completely bald now, but that was no surprise. Dwalin had showed signs of baldness even before they first met, many years ago. The _tattoos_ on his bald head, however, had been a surprise.

If Thorin did not know Dwalin since the two were teenagers, he might have been intimidated by that big, tattooed man coming toward him with a scowl on his face and dressed as if he belonged to a gang. But as soon as the muscular man had laid his eyes on Thorin, he barked a laugh and pulled him into a tight hug.

They had first met when Thorin had left the orphanage at the age of eighteen. Dwalin was twenty-two and he was looking for a roommate. Thorin needed a cheap place to rent. The friendship between the two was instantaneous. But Then, Dwalin had joined the army and Thorin had not seen his friend since then.

Thorin had been surprised by this sudden reunion, but he was glad, because Dwalin was one of his few friends ( _if not his only real friend_ ) and having him around was always nice.

Dwalin had promptly helped Thorin to unload the trees of his truck and when it was over, Dwalin had invited Thorin for a lunch break. From there, they walked to Gandalf's Coffee Shop and they sat at a table, ordering a coffee each, and then they started to talk.

It was eleven in the morning, the place was crowded with customers and the noise they made was starting to cause a headache to the dark-haired man. He was not used to it - crowded places, people, loud noises - and now his anxiety was visible in the way he had begun to bounce his leg under the table. To make matters worse, Dwalin had seemed very interested to know every little detail of Thorin's life, asking him questions as if he were an interviewer in a talk show. Nothing very interesting had happened in Thorin's life in the past few years, so there wasn't much to talk about. He had taken jobs here and there, he had lived in a few different places - being kicked out as soon as he didn't had enough money to pay the rent.

Nothing very exciting.

The invitation to work on that coffee shop had been so out of the blue that Thorin thought he had not heard it right.

"W-What?" It was all he managed to say.

"I asked if you want to work here at Gandalf's. The old man wants to hire someone else to the staff, but he doesn't want to hire any of those annoying teenagers with no notion of responsibility. And you..." Dwalin pointed a finger at his friend "You need the job."

"I already have a job." Thorin protested.

"Cutting pine trees for Thranduil? He is a stingy bastard. How much is he paying you? Peanuts, I bet. And when Christmas is over, what will you do?"

Thorin hesitated. He knew Dwalin would not like the answer, but he couldn’t just lie to his best friend.

"I work at Beorn's… Sometimes." he said sheepishly.

"At _Beorn's_? A _car repair shop_?" Dwalin raised an eyebrow and then sighed. "Thorin, listen. You just _can't_ do strenuous work. Cutting trees, fixing cars... these jobs are dangerous to you and you know it."

"I really don't have a choice, do I?" Thorin hissed. "Nobody wants to hire a sick guy like me."

Thorin shifted in his seat and looked around, sighing when he saw that some people had turned their heads to look in his direction. When he looked back at Dwalin, he saw that his friend at least had the decency to look contrite.

That was true. Since Thorin had reached the age he was considered old enough to be kicked out of the orphanage, he had had to fend for himself as best he could. But there was little he could do when he heard the same thing everywhere he went: _"We do not hire people who has pre-existing ailments."_

Beggars can’t be choosers, as the saying goes, and Thorin was willing to take any job, regardless of whether it was dangerous to his health or not.

Dwalin sighed and ran a hand over his bald head.

"Thorin..." He tried again "Think about it for a minute. This is not a heavy work, so it's something you can do; The payment is not so bad, and you’ll get to meet new people." He smiled encouragingly. “God knows how you need it.”

Thorin felt a lump in his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Only Dwalin could have put Thorin in a situation like that. _"Meet new people..."_ Dwalin had said. Wasn't he aware of how socially inept Thorin was?

For Thorin, cutting trees in the middle of a silent forest was easy, relaxing even. He could also spend hours fixing the engine of a wrecked car and just turn off his brain to everything that was going on around him. Both jobs were tiring and potentially dangerous, but it was something he could do. _Why?_ Because he wouldn't have to deal with people. Now Dwalin was asking him to do just that, to _deal with people_.

Thorin couldn't do it. His shyness was a barrier he could not overcome, no matter how he tried. Many people considered him rude or _stupid_ because of his lack of communication, but the truth was that sometimes Thorin got so overwhelmed that he just couldn't speak.

But Thorin was not dense enough not to see the advantages of working at the coffee shop. Thorin had rent to pay, his medicine to buy - and it wasn't cheap - also food and warmer clothes for the winter. There was only so much he could do with the money Thranduil paid for the trees.

Dwalin looked at Thorin with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"So what do you say? Will you talk to Mr. Gandalf?"

Thorin sighed.

"Okay, I'll talk to him." Thorin said defeated.

He didn't know what he was getting himself into.

 

****

Dwalin had been right, working at Gandalf's was definitely less tiring. Since Thorin had been hired as an assistant, his job was to keep the floor clean, to help Bombur in the kitchen, keep the kitchen in order and take out the trash. It may seem a lot of things to do, but it was really an easy job which Thorin found no problem in adjust to.

But there was the matter of his co-workers, which had been an issue since the beginning. He had been a little wary - actually he had been quite uncomfortable - about having to work alongside so many people. Mr. Gandalf, with his intimidating height and his piercing blue eyes that seemed to be watching Thorin's every move, had scared the dark-haired man a little bit. But during their first conversation he realized that Mr. Gandalf was really a nice person. He was aware of Thorin's heart disease and he was very understanding, telling him that he provided health insurance for all of his employees and if Thorin needed to undergo medical consultations or if he needed money to buy his medicine, he would just have to say.

He had no words to express how thankful he was.

Then Thorin met the rest of the staff and he couldn't help but be nervous. They seemed friendly enough and no one seemed to care about the fact that Thorin preferred to stay silent as Dwalin introduced his colleagues, telling him their names and occupations in the coffee shop while he just nodded in acknowledgement.

"I think it might work." Thorin thought, a little more comfortable.

 

****

 

It was on the second day that Thorin saw _him_ for the first time.

Someone had spilled their drink on the floor and Thorin was quietly cleaning up the mess with a mop when he caught a glimpse of a young man sitting on a stool at the counter. He had blond curly hair, he was petite, and he was wearing the same uniform Thorin was wearing. An employee of Gandalf's. But Thorin had not seen him the night before, it must have been his day off or something.

The blond man was talking to guy with the mustache - what was his name again? Bofur, maybe? - And his voice sounded so sad. Thorin could not understand very much of it, nor was it his intention to eavesdrop, after all he had nothing to do with it, but he was curious about why that young blond man looked so sad.

Then, Thorin felt eyes on him and when he turned around, the young blond man was looking straight at him.

He was... he was... beautiful.

His face was delicate and beardless, perfectly framed by the curls of his blond hair. His eyes were bright and green, but they were slightly swollen and reddish as if he had been crying.

Thorin was speechless. He had never seen anything as beautiful as this young man. But look at something so beautiful was like looking at the sun, and Thorin had to look away.

Thorin felt his heart pounding inside his chest and for a moment he panicked. Was his sick heart failing him again?

_No No No ..._

Desperate, Thorin ran to the empty kitchen, dropping the mop the floor. Once he got there, he sat on a chair and tried to calm down. That's when he realized that his chest was not aching, his heart was just beating faster than usual, and after the initial shock he realized that it was not a bad feeling.

What had just happened? He had never felt anything like this before. Then it hit Thorin: His heart had started to beat that way when he saw the young blond man.

He had made him feel that way.

That was... weird... and scary.

 

****

It was so unexpected.

Okay, Thorin hadn't expected that he would accidentally drop that bowl when he was cleaning that shelf in the kitchen, nor that he would hurt his hand while picking up the shreds of glass to try to clean up the mess before anyone could see what he had done. But above all things, he _really_ had not expected that that blond man - the same one who had made his heart flutter the day before - would suddenly come through the kitchen door to find him like that.

Thorin saw his co-worker - who he did not know the name yet - standing there in front of him, looking at Thorin and the bloody hand he held close to his chest, and all he could think was _"Oh no. I dropped this bowl. It must be expensive and I dropped it. He will tell Mr. Gandalf and he'll fire me. How could I not last three days at this job? Dwalin will be so disappointed..."_

But, to Thorin's utter surprise, the young blond man had dragged him to the kitchen sink to clean his wound before he could even protest.

Thorin was confused and surprised at the blonde's reaction. Shouldn't he be yelling at Thorin, telling him how clumsy and useless he was? Thorin had heard such things before from his former employers and co-workers. They said he was retarded, daft as a brush, and it was frustrating because he knew he was none of those things. He was just painfully shy and he had trouble expressing himself.

Part of him was still expecting that the young blond man would start telling him these hurtful things, but no, the young blond man seemed more concerned about Thorin's injured hand, apparently oblivious - or just deliberately ignoring - the pieces of the bowl still scattered on the floor.

The young blond man - Bilbo, he had introduced himself - has tended Thorin's injury with utmost care and gentleness, and he talked to Thorin using a soft tone of voice and comforting words, which left Thorin a bit confused.

Thorin was used to the false sympathy of the people when they talked to him, as if they felt obligated to be kind to him. Their smiles were tight, their voices were too cheerful, but Thorin could see in their eyes how annoyed the really were. Not Bilbo. Bilbo did not seem annoyed, not one bit, and Thorin just _knew_ that Bilbo had more important things to do than to tend to his wounded hand.

Why Bilbo was doing that? Why?

Thorin was barely paying attention to the pain in his hand, he was too distracted because Bilbo was _so close_. Thorin could smell the scent of his shampoo and he refrained the urge to reach out his hand and _touch_ Bilbo's hair, just to see if it was as soft to the touch as it seemed to be.

Oh, God, his heart was beating so fast.

What? What did that meant?

How would he know if he had never felt this way before? But something inside him told him it was not a bad thing, not when his heart seemed to skip a beat when Bilbo raised his head and _smiled_ at him.

Thorin didn’t know then, but his heart had chosen Bilbo to be its owner.

 

****

A customer had spilled some of his drink on the floor - seriously, these customers had no control over their motor skills? - and Thorin has just crossed the kitchen door, bringing the mop to clean up the mess when he saw that there were two customers sitting at a table near the window, one was blonde, and the other, the dark-haired one, was _grabbing_ Bilbo's arm and the young blonde man did not seem happy about it, not one bit, if the panic written all over his face was something to go by.

Thorin strode toward the table where that dark-haired man was sitting at, driven by a protective instinct, something he had never felt before, which was quite confusing because, considering his illness, it was usually Thorin the one who had always been protected.

All the sounds around him seemed to have died. All that Thorin could see in front of him was a man with all kinds of nefarious intentions written all over his face and he was hurting someone he was beginning to care about and Thorin just couldn't let that happen.

Fortunately, the man let go of Bilbo's arm before Thorin had the time to come close enough. Thorin didn't know what he would have done if he really had to convince the man to take his hands off Bilbo, but something told him that the outcome would not be pretty.

Bilbo was free of that man's claws, but Thorin couldn't stop glaring in their direction.

Then he felt something bumping against his chest. It was Bilbo, who bumped into him in his haste to get away from those dangerous men. Thorin did not averted his gaze from those customers even for a second, watching whether they would make another move towards Bilbo. If they did, Thorin would stop them. Oh, he would.

He would not let them touch him again.

"Are you alright?" Thorin managed to say in the midst of his anger, after all, he had to know if Bilbo was okay.

"I'm fine." Thorin heard Bilbo answering him with a trembling voice and he felt when a light hand touched his arm in a placating manner, at least it felt that way.

That caught his attention and finally Thorin looked down at Bilbo. He still had a frightened look on his face and Thorin could only imagine how scared he had been.

No, no, no, this expression looked so wrong on Bilbo's face. Bilbo was cheerful and beautiful, a simple smile of his could light up the world, more than the sun could. For Thorin, it was literally painful to see him so distraught, so he looked away from Bilbo's face. Then, Thorin's eyes landed on Bilbo's injured wrist, already swollen and turning red, and he felt his heart stop for a second.

There were many conflicting feelings bubbling inside Thorin and he couldn't decide which one was the strongest.

 _Surprise,_ for he had no idea that Bilbo was so delicate and fragile, so easy to break, like a porcelain doll.

 _Protectiveness_ , all he wanted was to take Bilbo in his arms and comfort him, take him away from there, protect him from the threat, make sure that no harm would come to him.

And finally, _Anger_. A burning, painful, suffocating kind of anger towards those men for daring to hurt such a gentle being like Bilbo.

Thorin glared back to the customers who had tormented his friend and he saw that they were laughing. _Laughing_ , as if they found it particularly amusing to cause such distress.

That's it, anger was the strongest feeling now.

He was about to do something very unwise - as to punch their faces until they become a deformed red mass - he knew that Mr. Gandalf would not like it, but who cares? Anger made his blood boil, he felt his heart beating painfully fast inside his chest, like a bomb ready to explode, when he felt Bilbo squeezing his arm slightly to get his attention again.

"I'm okay, Thorin, really. It was nothing." Bilbo said, his voice pleading.

Bilbo forced a smile, but Thorin could see in his eyes what he really meant: _"I know what you want to do. Don't do it, it's not worth it. Forget it, please."_

It grounded him somehow. Bilbo's hand on his arm, his soft voice saying that he was okay, it did dissipate some of the anger boiling inside him. His heart suddenly began to slow down.

Bilbo kept looking at Thorin with something akin to worry on his face, so he nodded to let him know that he had heard him.

Yes, he had calmed down. Bilbo was right, it was not worth it to get in trouble because of those two arseholes.

 _"Leave."_ He tried to sound calm, but he was sure his voice sounded very intimidating, something along the lines of _"if you do not leave on your own accord, I'll have to cause you bodily harm. You choose."_

Fortunately, his implied threat was clearer than he had thought, 'cause the customers soon rose from their table and walked away, leaving the coffee shop.

Wow, Thorin was impressed with himself. He was a peaceful man, always had been. He couldn't hold a simple conversation because of his shyness, much less start a fight with someone. He could not explain the sudden anger he felt when he saw that someone had hurt Bilbo, nor the relief that flooded him when those customers had finally left the coffee shop and Bilbo was finally safe at his side. But now that the danger was over, it seemed that the level of adrenaline in his blood was lowering and with that, all his confidence. He was extremely aware that not only Bilbo but everyone in the shop was looking at him. He began to feel very uncomfortable, he hated being the center of attention. But then Bilbo was talking again.

"Thank you, Thorin" And Bilbo was smiling again - that smile that made Thorin's heart beat so fast, like the wings of a hummingbird - and Thorin knew that everything was okay now.

Still aware of eyes on him, Thorin nodded his head one last time before returning to the kitchen to think about what had happened.

Thorin began to think that he was experiencing a lot of new feelings lately, all of them were related to Bilbo. It was disconcerting, confusing and scary, especially because the more he felt it, the more he wanted feel it.

He didn't know what to do.

 

****

A few hours later, Thorin was in the locker room, putting on his black coat and getting ready to leave the coffee shop. It was old and worn out, but it was basically the only warm coat he had. He could not complain, though, since the coat was serving its purpose to keep him warm, but maybe now with a new job and a better salary, he could buy a new coat soon.

He was calmer, now that he had time to cool his head, but he could still feel the anger running through his veins when he thought about those two men who were threatening Bilbo. He had spent the last hour trying to gather the courage to approach his blonde co-worker and ask him if he wanted Thorin to escort him on his walk back home. He had heard Bofur talking - no, he wasn't eavesdropping, he was just perceptive - that Bilbo usually took a shortcut through the park. He also had to take the same shortcut through the park to get to the basement he now called home, so he knew how dark and dangerous that place was at this time of the night. The early events of that evening only reinforced the idea that Bilbo should not walk alone in a desert park at 2 in the morning, and if Thorin could make sure that Bilbo would arrive home safely only by walking by his side for a few minutes, he would do that.

When Thorin had finally gathered the courage to talk to Bilbo, he stepped out of the coffee shop. He looked around, trying to find the blonde, but he was nowhere to be seen. The only one he saw was Bofur, who was alone in the parking lot leaning against the external wall of the shop, wearing a heavy coat and smoking a cigarette. Apparently he was waiting for someone.

Thorin frowned. Where was Bilbo? Was he still there inside the shop? Thorin was about to turn around and get back inside to search for Bilbo when he heard Bofur clearing his throat.

"Bilbo has already left." Bofur said, letting out some smoke from his mouth. "I asked him to wait because my boyfriend is coming to get me and I offered him a ride, but Bilbo said no. I do not like the idea of him walking alone at this time of night as much as you do, but he is infuriatingly stubborn when he wants to be."

Thorin glanced at Bofur with a frown. How did he know that he was looking for Bilbo? Bofur looked at Thorin with a glint in his eyes, as if he was trying to find out exactly what Thorin was thinking. He did not like that, he did not like when people looked at him that way. He shifted uncomfortably under Bofur's gaze.

“Has it been long since he left?” Thorin asked, avoiding meeting his eyes.

The man with the mustache smiled mischievously.

"No, just two or three minutes." Bofur said, taking another puff of the cigarette. "If you run, you can still catch him."

Thorin blinked a few times, surprised by Bofur's words. He tried to find any sign of hesitation on his face, but all he saw was an encouraging smile. That was… reassuring. With a curt nod to Bofur, Thorin turned around and started to walk down the street. With any luck, he would reach Bilbo in time so he would not have to walk all the way to his home alone.

The night was really cold. As he walked with long strides, Thorin could see small white clouds coming out of his mouth. He buttoned all the buttons of his black coat and he upturned the collar to protect his neck from the blowing wind, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked in a fast pace.

Soon, he arrived at the park. It was very dimly lit, and Thorin had difficulty to see anything in that darkness. Immediately, he thought about Bilbo walking through that dark place all alone. That was dangerous. Being as small, delicate and beautiful as he was, he became an easy target.

Yeah, Thorin had to find Bilbo and make sure that he would get home safe and sound. _'Perhaps he would agree to let me accompany him every night.’_ he thought hopefully. He did not know why he had this sudden urge to protect Bilbo, he just knew it was something he _had_ to do.

Thorin had just walked past a tree when he saw something lying on the floor. With a frown, he approached that thing and bent down to examine what it was. He looked down at it, then he touched it. With surprise, he saw that it was a coat, a red coat. It looked like it was in good conditions and it wasn't dirty. He found it very strange. Why would someone just leave it there on the ground, apparently abandoned, if the weather was so cold. Someone must have lost it, he mused. Then, Thorin heard a terrified scream cutting through the silence of that deserted park.

"No! Please! Do not hurt me!" They screamed and Thorin recognized that voice.

It was Bilbo's voice!

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Bilbo shouted again, desperately.

Thorin felt his blood run cold inside his veins. Immediately he started to run, following that terrified sound, blindly making his way through the trees.

Bilbo was in danger, he had to find him.

He came to a halt when he got near the lake. He stood there listening, panting and gasping for air. He could not hear Bilbo anymore and fear began to grow more and more inside of him. Hearing Bilbo's desperate cry had been horrible, but not hearing anything was even worse because he didn't know what could have happened to make him get quiet if he was asking for help.

Then he heard the sound of hushed voices just a few meters away from where he stood. Holding his breath, Thorin walked toward those voices with silent footsteps. The voices were leading him toward the bushes and when he got close enough, he hid behind a bush to see what was happening, but without being seen. What he saw however, shocked him more than he could have imagined: Those men - the same customers who had tormented Bilbo not long ago and even dared to grab his wrist and hurt him - they were hovering over Bilbo's limp body. One of them, the dark-haired man, was pinning his arms to the ground while the other, the blond one, was on top of him, straddling his legs. Bilbo was naked from the waist up, his naked torso was in contact with that cold floor, his shirt had been thrown aside, torn into pieces.

But the most shocking thing of all this was that the blond man who was on top of Bilbo was trying to yank his pants down.

Sick bastards! They were about to rape Bilbo right in front of his eyes!

The cold fear that Thorin was feeling suddenly turned into hot boiling rage, running as hot as magma through his veins. He would not let that hideous thing happen to Bilbo! He looked down and his eyes landed on a fallen branch of oak. Silently, Thorin crouched down, grabbed the fallen branch with both hands and quietly walked toward that horrible scene. The aggressors did not noticed that Thorin was approaching, they were too distracted with what they were about to do to Bilbo's unconscious body.

Thorin whistled to get their attention and when the dark-haired man, who was pinning Bilbo's arms to the ground, turned around to see where that sound had come from, he took a blow right on his chin. Thorin heard the sound of wood and bone breaking and he could only smile in satisfaction. The dark-haired aggressor fell unconscious to the ground next to Bilbo but the fight was far from over. Thorin felt a strong impact on his back and now he was being tackled to the ground by the blonde aggressor, who took this brief moment of distraction to attack.

The two began to roll on the ground wildly, throwing punches at each other. For a moment the blonde aggressor seemed to have the upper hand when he managed to roll over to get on top of Thorin. He had a manic glint in his eyes and his hands found their way to Thorin's neck and they began to squeeze, trying to strangle the blue-eyed man.

Thorin began to choke, groping the ground blindly trying to find anything he could use as a weapon against the aggressor, since he had lost the oak branch when he had fallen to the ground. His vision was beginning to get blurred because of the lack of air when his hand finally touched something that looked a stone. Thorin grabbed the stone with his hand and struck, hitting the blond aggressor on the head with it. Incredibly, the attacker grunted in pain but did not stop squeezing Thorin's neck. Thorin had to hit him with the stone two more times until the aggressor's body fell to the side, just as unconscious as his friend.

Thorin coughed a few times, trying to catch his breath. His chest was aching and he knew it was not because of some blow provided by the blonde aggressor, but it was his heart was reminding him what strong emotions and strenuous activities - as fighting two guys and being nearly strangled to death - could do to him. He stood up on shaky legs, still panting. There was a tree nearby and leaned against it, sinking to the ground again when it became clear that the effort had been too much for him.

He looked around and his eyes found Bilbo a few meters away from him, still unconscious, still half-naked and lying in the cold ground. Thorin had to calm down, he had to catch his breath quick so he could take Bilbo away to somewhere safe. Thorin forced himself to get up, more or less recovered - he had no time for his heart to fail now - and stumbled toward Bilbo's limp form on the ground.

With trembling hands, Thorin touched Bilbo's face. There was a bruise on his cheek, probably for have been punched, which should have knocked him out, thus making him stop crying. _"Poor thing..."_ Thorin thought bitterly. Bilbo was hurt and it was his fault for not having found him earlier. But he could not let his anger cloud his mind now. He noted with alarm that Bilbo was cold and shivering, he had spent too long lying on that cold ground, Thorin had to do something or else Bilbo would probably become hypothermic. Without wasting anymore time, Thorin took off his coat, keeping only a light sweater he was wearing underneath it, and he wrapped Bilbo in his coat before he taking the smaller man in his arms and slowly lifting him up.

Tossing another hateful glare toward the fallen attackers, Thorin noted that they were still out like a light, alive, but seriously injured. 'It serves you right!' Thorin thought, turning around and starting to walk away from there with Bilbo in his arms. Certainly two rapists as they were deserved to have more than just a broken jaw and a concussion, but Thorin had more important things to worry about. Bilbo needed care, and Thorin was the one who would take care of him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm taking prompts, so if you want me to fill your prompt just follow me on twitter and post it there. You can find me at https://twitter.com/NatOliverAO3  
> I'm waiting for you! ;)

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!  
> I'LL UPDATE NEXT WEEK.


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